PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 to 59 Sex: Female Menopausal status: Not specified Performance status: Karnofsky 80-100% Life expectancy: More than 3 months Hematopoietic: Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3 Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL PT normal Activated PTT normal Hepatic: Bilirubin normal (unless benign congenital hyperbilirubinemia is present) No AST/ALT greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) together with alkaline phosphatase greater than 2.5 times ULN No active hepatitis B or C Renal: Creatinine normal Cardiovascular: Ejection fraction normal by MUGA or echocardiogram No active heart disease No prior myocardial infarction or other manifestation of coronary artery disease Other: More than 1,000 calories/day oral intake HIV negative No active serious medical or psychiatric disease No other prior or concurrent malignancy except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix No allergy to polysorbate 80 or E. coli-derived products No peripheral neuropathy greater than grade 2 Not pregnant Negative pregnancy test